The Guardian
"The authorities in Jordan have ordered the country's internet services providers to block access to more than 200 websites, reports Al Bawaba.
The decision was condemned by the International Press Institute (IPI) which staged its world congress in the capital, Amman, just two weeks ago.
The International Press Institute (IPI) condemned the blockage of internet news websites and urged Jordanian authorities to guarantee the public's free access to information.
IPI's deputy director, Anthony Mills, said the blockages and restrictions on social media "are an enormous blow to freedom of expression."
Jordan's telecommunications regulator issued the crackdown because it said new websites were not complying with a change to the country's press and publications law.
The law requires all news websites to be legally registered and the editors-in-chief of such sites must be members of the Jordan Press Association.
Among the blocked sites are those for Al-Jazeera, Time Out magazine and AmmanNet, which was founded by an IPI executive board member, Daoud Kuttab
He said: "This is a violation of Jordan's constitution which guarantees freedom of expression, Jordan's commitment to international conventions and a reneging on the promises made by the Jordanian prime minister to Jordanian media.""
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